Gerrard to introduce bill to make home inspections mandatory

WINNIPEG – Manitoba Liberal Leader Dr.Jon Gerrard today charged the government with being irresponsible and negligent when they sold a mold-infested home to a private vendor who subsequently sold the home to an unsuspecting family, and asked the Premier to support a Liberal bill which would make home inspections and the reporting of previous flood history mandatory.

“Yes the government may have acted in a way that was technically lawful, but this does not absolve them of ethical obligations,” Dr.Gerrard said. “The government was negligent and as a result the cost to this unsuspecting family has been huge – $180,000 to buy a worthless home, and huge heartaches in the process.”

In 2006, Tara-Lee and Artur Maciuszonek bought a home from a private vendor which had been flooded in the 1997 Red River flood. The house was initially bought and sold by the government as part of the Flood Relief Program. Double drywall covered serious problems with mold, the wiring was green, the house was not securely attached to the foundation and other problems were discovered when Maciuszonek’s started cosmetic renovations. The house was beyond repair and eventually demolished.

“Cars have to be safetied so why is it that there is nothing to protect home buyers? Buying a home is possibly the most important purchase an individual makes in their lifetime and they should have the peace of mind that they are making the best possible choice,” said Tara-Lee Maciuszonek. “We hope to prevent other home buyers from going through the turmoil we have endured by making them more consumer aware.”

The Liberal bill will be introduced this spring and will make home inspections mandatory, including tests to check for mold, and ensure full disclosure to home buyers of previous flood history.

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